


high on a tide

by cryystal_m00n



Category: Day6 (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Fluff, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, M/M, Sexual Tension, dowonsung arent in it much because i got carried away by jhpian being dumb, flirty young k, jae is a blushing mess but he could also kill a man without hesitation, jaeficfest, jaeficfest2020, jaime is the lesbian queen she always is, not much piratey/merpeopley stuff happen, so much my dudes, they are so so so dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:15:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26618044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryystal_m00n/pseuds/cryystal_m00n
Summary: a storm leads to an unexpected relationship between a pirate and a merman. except that the pirate has no clue the merman is a creature of the sea and the merman is just trying to figure out what the hell he are these feelings.or, stupid pirate, the fic.
Relationships: Kang Younghyun | Young K/Park Jaehyung | Jae
Comments: 11
Kudos: 55
Collections: Jae Fic Fest 2020





	high on a tide

**Author's Note:**

> so... this is literally anything but what the prompter had asked for but here it is anyway. this is basically my excuse of writing jhpian being dumb and like who am i to really complain u know? to the prompter, trust me, i know its not what you asked for BUT there may be a second chap where i clean things up/fill some plot holes in if i am feeling nice. until then. my friends, enjoy the mess that is this fic

the moon watched from high above as the mighty ship got thrown from left to right by the angry waves, the crew trying to make itself heard over the sounds of the storm which swallowed their screams. there was no guarantee they would survive, but the crew still fought for their lives and treasures tooth and nail.

“captain! younghyun!” someone on the main deck yelled, their voice muffled by the rain. “captain, where are you!” they were getting closer to where jae was watching from, closer to the edge of the ship. they would fall if they continue.

jae craned his neck to see what was going on with the men and women, but there wasn’t much he could make out. some of them were running amok, climbing the masts high to save the sails from the winds. they won’t make it out in time, not with how the tides were becoming stronger with each wave of wind that blew. it would do them better to start praying for a place in heaven.

“wonpil, steer the wheel! we will have to leave even if younghyun isn’t here! dowoon, are the sails down?” the same person who was calling for the captain. they must have been important if they could shout orders while the captain was busy doing… gods know what. part of jae wanted to swim around the ship and look for any crew members that might be drowning, but his eyes were glued on the tragedy unfolding in front of him.

someone answered them, or at least jae assumed they did, because the next thing he knew was that the ship was changing directions, going at an angle. at least they had the knowledge of how to survive a storm.

at last, the ship began to sail away from jae, the waves still hitting its side with vigour. the crew had moved to the front, hanging on for dear life. it was time for jae to swim back home, where his family was probably worrying over his whereabouts by now.

although he might be a merman, the sea was still not safe when angered by the pirates sailing on. the gods were still hungry for human lives, and if they remained unsatisfied, they wouldn't hesitate killing some of their worshipers.

just as he was sending a quick prayer to the dragon king, to protect and watch over those pirates, the young merman saw a pair of arms flailing in the water, the body barely able to hold itself above with how furious the tides still were.

jae’s body moved before he could think it through, rushing with all his might to where the pirate was drowning. by the time the merman had reached them, their arms were no longer beating the water in a futile attempt of not going under. they had given up, accepted defeat; they were ready to die.

jae scoffed. _what a typical pirate way of thinking_ : dying in the sea, giving back to the gods for all the times they have enraged them. they were probably glad they would die like this and not due to a siren’s hypnotizing song.

the pirate didn’t flinch when jae grabbed them, eyes closed and breathing already uneven. the merman cursed, his grip on the unconscious person tightening so that they were not to slip as he swam to shore.

the storm seemed to have passed; the sea was peaceful once more, only small remnants of the nightmare which came undone still visible. some dark clouds here, some waves there. the moon still shone over them, watching. quiet.

jae struggled, dragging the added weight of the crew member to his already heavy tail. he had never been as good as his siblings when it came to swimming in troubled waters.

once he reached land, he pushed the pirate out first. making sure that there was no one else in sight on the small island, jae got out of the water as well, his tail disappearing, until only his fragile human legs were left behind.

the pirate’s chest was barely moving, their skin pale under the moonlight, almost waxy. jae cursed again, louder this time, as he launched himself over the human’s body, hands trembling as he undid the blouse’s buttons. he knew how to save humans, his brother had taught him that, but he _never_ had to do it until now.

he was scared, beyond terrified, but he was the only one able to help the pirate.

 _push hard, push fast._ jae recounted the steps in his head, eric’s voice loud and clear as his brother’s guiding came back to him. _make sure to put your whole weight in it, so that the compressions are deep._

the pirate was bulging, their body cold and still. _no, no, no._ jae pushed one more time, before taking his hands off their chest and moving to tilt their head back. _lift the chin, pinch the nose shut, place your lips over theirs and blow air into their lungs._ the merman felt the salt on the pirate’s lips as he blew once, twice. their chest was rising, but still, nothing.

 _fuck, fuck, fuck, don’t die, you can’t die on me, pirate!_ jae wanted to scream, but he had no time to do so. he began to push on their chest again. three times, watching as their brows furrowed. they were alive! the merman tilted their head again, careful now that he knew they might awake any moment. one last blow of air should be enough.

jae did it again, the ringing in his ears loud as he breathed long into the pirate’s mouth. _come on, please, gods, let them wake up._

the pirate’s eyes opened wide, a series of coughs shaking their body as they sat up. the water that spilled from their lungs splashed onto jae’s stomach, but he couldn’t give a damn about that even if he tried. they were alive; scared, confused, but they weren’t a victim of the sea.

“w-who are you?” the pirate asked, their voice rough and low. jae held back a shiver, unsure if he should talk. should they find out he is a merman, the pirate might condemn him for trying to kill him. he might even get his voice taken from him, if they find the right magicians. “why are you naked? did i die? are you an angel?” at that, the merman chuckled, shaking his head. “then?”

“i am jae,” he said, scratching the back of his neck. he could hear his siblings yell at him loud and clear for being reckless enough to not only speak with a human, but give them his name as well. “there was a storm and you… you were drowning. i swam over there to save you,” he smiled at the pirate, feeling his cheeks redden as their eyes went over jae’s naked form, “you are?”

“younghyun. captain of entropy, the most savage pirate crew in all known lands.” the captain winked at him, smirking at the boy. “a pleasure to meet such a beautiful boy as you, darling.” jae’s blush deepened. stupid flirty pirates and their stupid teasing.

the merman rolled his eyes. “you almost died and now you’re flirting?”

“well, what can i say? it is not often i get to be saved by angels wearing nothing but a pretty blush and seashell earrings.” jae tried his best to hide his face behind his longer strands of hair, but to no avail. the captain’s hand pushed his hair back, looking at jae’s face with a soft smile on his lips. he caught sight of the painted nails, the black and dark blue hues on his pretty nails matching the pirate’s rings. “thank you for saving me, darling, i owe you my life now.”

“isn’t that a bit too much, captain?” jae laughed, his arms still splayed on younghyun’s chest. neither of them seemed to mind it.

“i’m sure you know pirates enjoy being dramatic, darling. and besides, if one does save a pirate, said pirate will remain indebted to their saviour until one of them dies.”

jae frowned at that, not quite wrapping his head around the unwritten rules of piratery. “i’ll take your blouse to cover until we reach the locals of the island and i reckon that it should be enough.” younghyun took his shirt off, draping it over jae’s shoulders and buttoning the much bigger cloth until it covered everything that shouldn’t be seen by others. though the white blouse was wet and it stuck to jae’s body, the merman still loved how small he felt in the pirate’s clothes.

“shall we head further on the island, angel?” younghyun asked as he stood up, his legs still shaking a little. he held his hand out for jae to take, and when the merman let their fingers intertwine, the pirate pulled him to his feet, not letting go of him. if anything, he even pulled jae closer, wrapping an arm around his waist. “is this alright, darling?”

“trust me, pirate, i may look like i don’t know much and like i cannot hurt someone, but if you or anyone else does something to me i will not hesitate to kill them.” jae flashed the captain a smile, sincere, yet deadly; just how jihyo had taught him. “the fact that i blush when you call me pretty is merely a distraction from when i will stab you.”

younghyun laughed, throwing his head back as more body shaking roars of laughter take over him. “darling--” he choked on another chuckle, “if i didn’t know any better, i’d say you have the bloodlust of a siren!” jae tensed, but younghyun was still busy chortling like a dying animal. it was cute, if not a bit concerning.

“let’s keep moving, pirate,” the merman managed to say.

younghyun winked at him one more time. “let’s.”

* * *

as soon as eric opened the door, he glared at his younger brother. eric’s little clinic just so happened to be on the same island jae had managed to drag younghyun on, and jae would rather have his brother be disappointed with him than wander around an unknown village while wearing a pirate’s shirt.

“father is going to be very mad, i hope you know,” eric said, moving aside so that the two men could enter. “but never mind that now. are you hurt?” jae shook his head, so the older man continued bombarding him with questions. “are you cold then? what even happened? maybe i should give you a checkup... what about him?” he pointed at younghyun, who had still to let go of jae’s waist. he even seemed to tighten his hold on the merman. “cat got your tongue, pirate? speak your mind.”

“i’m fine,” younghyun answered, eyes darting around the small office that held most of eric’s supplies. not many people got hurt on the island, and even if they did, there was never something drastic he had to do in order to heal them. jae knew how thankful his brother was for this, how due to it, he could practice his magic in peace, without humans interfering too often. “you don’t look like a doctor.”

“and you don’t look like much of a captain either, but you don’t see me comment on the lack of fancy hat, pirate.” eric nudged some of the papers off a chair nearby, pointing with a finger that they are allowed to sit. “now, fake pirate, let go of my brother while i check on your vitals.”

younghyun didn’t seem to want to, looking at jae as if asking the taller man if he wished to let go. jae knew better than to get into eric’s way while he worked, so he reluctantly wrapped his fingers around younghyun’s wrist to maneuver himself free. “trust him on this one, younghyun. he’s the best of the best.”

“not reassuring,” the pirate grunted as eric grabbed his arm, twisting it around to find his pulse. “i am very much _alive_ , doc!”

“silence. do not interrupt me while i work, or else you might find yourself with a few missing limbs,” eric said, throwing jae a wink over younghyun’s head. jae chose to ignore the implication, the balant threat of castration just because the pirate had touched his little brother. he shook his head at the elder and left the room in search of clean and dry clothes.

he could hear vague threats from the main room, hidden in between casual questions about younghyun’s breathing and such. he was going to kill eric himself even if he had to face his father after. to no one’s surprise, younghyun answered back each time, a smart comment here, an equally vague threat there and even some… interesting words about jae. great, now he had to kill the pirate as well.

“would you two stop already?” he yelled from eric’s room, voice loud enough that it got carried through all the rooms. “less murder threats and more putting him back together, eric!”

eric answered with a sweet _shut up_ , but jae could tell by the lack of heat that the elder didn’t want his brother to shut up. eric’s drawers were full of clothes, most of which belonged to their siblings, so with little to no stress, jae found himself some pants and a simple shirt, and even managed to get some of matthew’s clothes from the back for the pirate.

they might had been too big, but jae would rather see younghyun in baggy clothes than his own skin tight blouses. he was _not_ ready to see the captain’s toned muscles flex underneath black cloth. he could handle him naked, but almost everyone he saw was shirtless; jae had yet to stop being amazed by people wearing clothes, despite being on land for more than half his life.

as he stepped into the main room, he threw the clothes into younghyun’s face, chuckling under his breath as the pirate cursed at him. “put them on, pirate.” jae could _see_ the flirty response forming in younghyun’s head, so he turned around to face eric, in hopes that the pirate would take the hint and _not_ flirt with him while his overprotective brother was there. “is he alright?”

eric rolled his eyes at the younger brother. “he’s fine. you did well with getting the water out of his lungs, i’m proud. he should-- you both need to rest for the night.” the man stepped aside towards the small kitchen, jae trailing close behind him. “i’ll make something to eat. you make sure he’s dressed and not strangling himself with matt’s shirt, understood?”

“yes sir,” jae saluted mockingly. “you want me to clean the house while i’m at it too? maybe redecorate it as well?”

“you brat.” eric ruffled jae’s hair, pushing his head gently. “just make sure he doesn’t die. again.”

the moment he knew eric was out of earreach, he finally allowed himself to glance at younghyun, the same worried expression from before gracing his features. “are you sure you’re alright? nothing hurts? can you breathe normally? do the clothes fit?”

younghyun chuckled. “lords, angel, easy with the questions. i know you love my adventurous self and how free i am and i bet that if i had my hat, you’d love it, but please, one question at a time.”

jae looked at younghyun. he blinked once, twice, unable to process the words. then, out of nowhere, he hit the pirate over the head with a notebook. “you _wish_ i even thought of you as anything but an annoying pirate. now answer my questions.”

“bossy, huh,” younghyun smirked at jae, “i like it.” another hit over his head, this time harder. younghyun growled at him, adding a wink for good measure. “puppy wanna play dirty, huh?”

jae sighed, suddenly regretting that he’d even felt worried for the man. “you can die for all i care.” exiting the room, he didn’t even wait for younghyun to scramble to his feet and follow. “after you eat you can go to sleep, ok? just don’t expect much. eric doesn’t like treating us like royalty when we visit.”

“us?” younghyun questioned. he was close enough to jae for the merman to _feel_ his breath down his neck. “you have more siblings?”

“like seven more.” jae shrugged, pushing the door open to get into the sibling assigned room. it was the same as how he left it last time he visited a month ago. “if you want you can get comfortable now. eric likes to take his sweet time cooking.”

younghyun collapsed on the bed, gathering the bedsheets around himself. he looked… small. almost vulnerable. jae shook his head, trying to think of something else. “so,” the pirate started, “eight kids? your parents must have _loved_ having free time, am i right?”

“please refrain from talking about my parents’ sex life.”

“would you rather i talked about _your_ sex life, angel?”

jae gagged. at least, he pretended to. “younghyun, i swear to the dragon king himself, if you do not _stop_.”

“you’ll what?” younghyun asked, batting his eyelashes in an innocent way. “you’ll punish me?”

“i’ll kill you,” jae answered, without even blinking.

“i--” the pirate was speechless, clearly not expecting that for an answer. “okay, fine, i will shut up now.”

jae smirked, for the first time since meeting the pirate captain. “good boy,” he said, enjoying the blush spreading across younghyun’s face _far_ too much.

sadly for him, he didn’t get to enjoy it for too long, because his brother chose that exact day to be curt in his cooking. and so, when eric called them to eat, he had to break eye contact with younghyun, whose face was getting redder by the second. he would get to see the blush again, that much he knew.

* * *

“where will you sleep, angel?” jae looked over his shoulder, fighting back a bright red blush when he noticed the way younghyun was holding the bed cover up, clearly an invitation. “we can both fit.”

“sure,” he agreed without thinking, thus sealing his doom.

it should be known that jae had never been the brightest of the bunch.

* * *

he woke up unbearably hot, the blanket wrapped around his legs in an almost impossible way. but that didn’t surprise him, jae was used to waking up upside down, his pillows thrown off the bed. what he wasn’t used to, however, was having a pair of arms wrapped tightly around his body, keeping him still as he slept with his head on their chest.

he had to coax himself into not pushing younghyun off. not like he could anyway, with the grip the pirate has on him; even asleep his body showed how much power he had over jae’s. it was… enticing --hot, a small part of his brain provided-- how the pirate was so much bigger, so much stronger than jae despite him having the height advantage.

without wanting to, jae let his mind wander. younghyun above him, as he laid on his back, his blouse unbuttoned and his pretty chains falling over jae’s face. he imagined grabbing onto the chains, pulling younghyun closer to feel him better. then, the pirate would throw him that stupid smirk, denying jae’s silent request of touching him. he would tease jae even more in his fantasy.

and then, his whole body would be covered by younghyun’s, grinding their hips together, whispering about how much he wants to ruin jae.

the merman whimpered, biting his lip just in time to not make too much noise. he could feel himself getting hard, but he _couldn’t_ stop the images from unfolding in front of his eyes. he had to stop, before younghyun woke up--

“need some help with your _little_ problem, darling?” speak of the devil and the devil shall appear making fun of you. jae slapped the pirate over his chest in response, not trusting his own voice to not break. “doesn’t answer my question, but i won’t push you. now, should we get out of bed? i need to make a plan for how i’ll get back to my crew.”

younghyun waited a few seconds before standing up and covering jae with the discarded blanket. _too hot_ , jae thought, wincing when the thick material brushed over his erection. the pirate gave him a pat on the head, smiling to himself when jae only glared.

“why not wait? they must come back here. clearly they don’t think you’re _dead_!”

“that’s where you’re wrong, angel,” younghyun answered with a sigh, “my crew and i… we have these unspoken agreements. should one of us fall, we continue our mission without them and mourn on the sea. so technically, even if sungjin knew that i was still alive, he wouldn’t turn the ship back. you need to get to them yourself if you wish to be part of it again.”

jae frowned at the pirate. “that’s stupid,” he muttered under his breath. “your rules are stupid.”

younghyun laughed at that. “i know, angel. but pirates are… driven by success, money, power, treasure. i knew what i signed up for when i became one.”

“you became stupid, you mean.”

again, he laughed. “sure, sure. let’s go with that one, darling.” he held his hand out for jae to grab. the paint had started to chip around the edges of his nails. jae wished he could use his limited magic powers to paint younghyun’s nails different colors, but he couldn’t; not now, at least. “now come, you must be hungry.”

“you’re gonna cook for me?” the merman snorted into his hand. “i’d like to see that.”

younghyun winked at him, something he seemed to enjoy doing just to rile jae up. “you’d be surprised at how skilled i am with these hands,” he drawled on, rubbing his palms together before spreading his fingers. jae had to swallow the knot forming in his throat. “get your mind out of the gutter, puppy.”

“i wasn’t--”

“yeah, yeah,” the pirate shook him off, “and i’m not the most wanted pirate in the country. keep trying and maybe next time i’ll believe you.”

the merman glared at younghyun. pushing past him, he got out of the room, the same way as last night, without waiting for the pirate to follow. stupid pirate and his stupidly pretty hands. jae _totally_ didn’t want to bite his fingers off and he _surely_ did not spend the whole time while younghyun was cooking, thinking about having them in his mouth, pushing on his tongue and making him gag.

stupid pirate.

* * *

“you… you want to steal a boat and sail to where your crew is going next…”

“precisely, darling! very well, you’re following me just like an obedient dog.”

“fuck off.”

younghyun chuckled, stopping from his job of cleaning their plates to wink at jae. again with the dumb winking. jae was actually considering covering the pirate’s eyes with patches just to have him cease at last.

“so, angel, are you willing to join me on my journey?” the pirate looked at jae with such… such a soft look, his eyes droopy and expectant, not once glancing away; not even when jae pulled out his glares once more, just to intimidate him. “i love it when you’re trying to seem disinterested.”

“ _if_ i come along… how dangerous will it be?”

“depends…” younghyun leaned on the kitchen sink, his hands still submerged in the bubbly water. he stayed deep in thought for a while, brows creasing as he puffed to get his hair out of his eyes. “pretty fucking dangerous if i do say so myself!” he said, excitement in his voice. there was almost a… sadistic look in his eyes. jae shivered.

“will you protect me?”

“do i look like i’d let some slimy sailor touch you with his sword, angel?” the pirate rolled his eyes. “if you come with me, i’d protect you with my life.”

jae looked around, searching for something to preoccupy himself with. this man… this pirate… he was willing to die if it meant protecting jae. “is that a promise?” he asked, eyes finally settling on a blood stained hand towel. he reached for it, playing with its corner.

“angel, i owe you my life. cross my heart and hope to die.”

the merman scowled at younghyun. “you better not die though.”

“of course, my darling.”

the merman turned pink again. stupid stupid _stupid_ pirate and his stupid stupid petnames who made his heart jump in his throat.

* * *

the ship younghyun was heading towards was small, smaller than entropy, and the woman guarding it was just as small. _easy target_ , younghyun had said, before heading her way. the pirate made sure to wink at jae over his shoulder. jae didn’t have the heart to tell him that the woman _was_ indeed the most feared person on the whole island; he really wanted to see younghyun quiver in terror when she pinned him down.

just as he expected, the moment younghyun slid close to her, she slammed him on the ground, a sharp knife pressed against his neck.

“jaime,” jae started, moving closer to where the woman was more or less straddling younghyun’s hips. “i see you’re still ready to stab any man that comes too close to you.”

the woman laughed, but she made no move to let go of younghyun. the pirate’s eyes were glued to the blade. “friend of yours, jae?”

“you could say that. but if you want, you can kill him.” the merman walked around the two, jumping on the ship’s steps with ease. “say, could you help us with something?”

“erm, i don’t really like the fact that you told her she can kill me, angel?” younghyun chuckled nervously, trying (and failing) to push jaime off. “a little help would be nice!”

jaime stood up, already bored with her prey. following jae, she put her knife away in her coat. jae frowned at the strange placement for a while, and then, next thing he knew, jaime was hugging him tightly. with his arms now wrapped around her, jae leaned down to press a small kiss on the top of her head. he whispered, loud enough only for her to hear, “i missed you too.” at that, she punched his chest, a red flush spreading across her cheeks.

“does eric know you’re in town?”

“who do you think told me you’re here?”

jaime nodded to herself, “sounds about right. so, what do you need help with?”

down on the deck, the pirate tried to stand up, his knees giving out under him. “we need your ship, lady,” he said, not bothering with pleasantries; always the charmer. jae shouldn’t have expected more from him considering he was ready to steal jaime’s ship with not a single plan in mind.

“you, shush.” younghyun lifted his arms in surrender when the woman pointed another blade in his direction. “you,” jaime aimed the same blade at jae, this time, her eyes softer, “where do you need to be?”

jae smiled, carefully hugging her, before lifting jaime in the air and spinning her around. “i knew i could count on you! we need to get to geumppit seom. as soon as possible.” younghyun glared at the two, rolling his eyes when jaime began to giggle in delight.

“golden island? you know that that’s a myth, right?”

“it’s not,” younghyun sighed, stepping on the ship at last. “i promise i won’t do anything funny anymore, just… please keep your blades away from me.” jaime tched. “my crew… we managed to find a map that led to geumppit seom. i still have it memorized.”

“why should i trust you, pirate?”

“because clearly, your boyfriend trusts me enough.”

the two stilled, jae with his arms around the woman while jaime started to shake with laughter. “y-you mean my brother?” she looked at jae, who simply shrugged in response. he _didn’t_ have time to tell younghyun this small detail. for what was worth, the pirate had the common sense to choke on his apologies, face going red from the lack of oxygen. “that’s cute, pirate, but green doesn’t look good on you.”

“i-- that’s not--” younghyun sputtered, struggling to find the right words for his argument.

jaime stopped him right then and there, signaling with a finger that he can get on the ship instead of just spending his days on the wooden stairs. “right, sure. now hurry up, i want to hear your plan.”

“say, fearless woman, d’you have any rum around here?”

the merman dragged his hands down his face, groaning. he already felt exhausted by the stupidly dumb pirate who had no goddamn filter. at least he could jump in the sea if he desired some time alone.

* * *

there was a bad feeling brewing inside jae, something he couldn’t shake off no matter how much he paced around the ship’s main deck. his shirt was clinging to his back, sweat running down his forehead and making him feel all gross and dirty. the sea was calling for him, singing his name as they sailed towards the golden island, a simple melody that left no room for argument in jae’s heart. he _craved_ to be back in the water, but his pirate was close, and he couldn’t allow himself to fall into the dark mass below them.

“why aren’t you going to sleep?” younghyun asked, barely looking away from where he was staring at the water ahead. he had taken steering wheel duty for the night, while the rest of the crew rested. jae agreed to keeping watch without even being asked to. “you don’t have to actually keep watch, you know? i can take care of the enemy should anyone attack us.”

“i can’t,” jae said, still staring into the water. it seemed so far away, yet only a touch, a dive separated them. he could jump, let his tail enjoy the coldness around it, swim for a while. he could, yet…

“what do you mean you can’t? sure you do! go into the cabins and nap, angel. i’ll protect you.”

jae swallowed the urge to yell at the pirate. he didn’t understand, he would never understand the pull jae felt. the dragon king was whispering his name; he had to go back home, even if it was only for a few brief moments.

“i really, really cannot.” the merman took off his shirt, throwing it on the deck. he looked at younghyun, dead in the eyes, while he stepped over the edge, hanging onto the railings. “please don’t hate me,” he said as he jumped into the waters, the soft wind carrying his words to where the pirate was left staring after him.

the water was cold around him, engulfing the merman’s fully transformed body with its embrace. jae felt at home, he felt safe, like nothing would hurt him now. he swam to the surface, breaking the calmness that settled where he had jumped.

there was a curse coming from the ship, loud and clear in the quiet night, and then the water splashed the merman in the face as younghyun threw himself after jae and oh lords, he did _not_ think so far ahead.

“are you out of your mind?! why would you do that! do you have a death wish, jae?” younghyun screamed, holding onto jae’s shoulders with all his might as if jae was the one who didn’t know how to swim.

“why did you jump after me?” he screamed back. jae prayed the pirate won’t look down; he might not be able to fully see his tail due to the darkness, but jae had the luck of having a light colored tail, unlike his siblings.

“because i was worried! what if you drowned? what would i do then, huh? i promised to protect you and what do you do? you jump into the sea because--” _fuck._ “you… have a tail. why?” cringing at the question, jae shrugged, not knowing what else to do. “are you… a siren? will you kill me?”

“what? no!” younghyun pulled back, fear in his eyes. “i promise, i am not a siren, i'm a merman, right? you sailors and pirates got us confused. they sing _and_ are half birds. we sing and are half _fish_. okay? different species!” jae reached for the man, his movements slow and his voice small, scared of what younghyun might do. “please trust me…”

younghyun looked at jae, jae looked at younghyun. then, the pirate reached back, holding onto jae’s offered hand. the merman sighed in relief, shoulders slouching. “thank you,” he whispered. younghyun simply smiled at the merman, squeezing his hand once, before focusing his attention on the ship that was slowly moving away from them.

“think you can get us back on the ship, angel?” jae nodded, despite still feeling safer in the water. he didn’t want younghyun to get sick just because they were both stupid enough to one, jump into the freezing cold sea without telling the pirate who had sworn to proect you that you’re doing it because you miss your merman tail, and two, jumping after the merman you had sworn to protect with your life, in spite of not having a single clue about how to swim.

“or, you can get me back and you can swim around some more? does that sound nice, sea puppy?” jae smiled eagerly at the proposition. “god, you’re really just a cute pup, huh?” younghyun’s hand reached from the water to pet jae’s dripping hair. “now help me, please? i don’t… really enjoy being in the water.”

jae laughed, wrapping his arms around younghyun’s middle. “that’s kind of funny, considering that you’re a pirate.” he began to make his way towards jaime’s ship, going faster with each sharp breath the pirate took. “shh, we’re close, pirate. you’re gonna have to climb on the ropes yourself, think you can manage?”

younghyun, the goddamn maniac, threw himself onto the side of the ship, grabbing the thick ropes with ease and hurling his body over the edge with far too much grace for someone who not even seconds ago was in freezing water. “say, angel,” the pirate rested his elbows on the railing so that he could look down where jae was floating, “do merpeople lay eggs or do they pop out babies?” when jae gave him an unimpressed look, younghyun continued, “oh, no, most importantly! do you have fish bits too?” he smirked at jae, that dumb and greasy smile jae got used to by now.

“go dry yourself, idiot.”

“aye, aye, sea puppy!”

jae sighed as he let the water currents drag him around mindlessly. he was getting sick of saying it, but still, his mind couldn’t supply another description for the pirate: he was stupid, and dumb and handsome and still so, so smart and cunning. jae hated him, but he hated himself more for blushing as he remembered the way younghyun clung to him as he brought him back to the ship.

pea-brained pirate. stupid, stupid, stupid.

* * *

time seemed to be slower at sea, jae noticed after the third day of asking jaime how much longer they have to be there, stuck on the tiny pirate boat with sweaty people that took it upon themselves to make out on as many surfaces as possible.

he won’t recover from seeing his sister with her legs wrapped around yeeun any time soon. he _really_ wanted to go back to eric. at least he didn’t bring his partners over while they were visiting. with jaime, it was another story. the woman _lived_ with her partners on a tiny ship! oh lords, would he end up the same way with younghyun? sleeping in the man’s captain cabin, dirtying the crew’s sleeping quarters or the front deck when they get too handsy?

jae shook his head; it wasn’t the time to think about his _possible_ future with younghyun. not when younghyun was trying to teach him how to hold his sword and fight in case they encountered trouble.

“you’re lacking in body strength!” younghyun said after knocking jae off his feet. “you could’ve managed the hit if you had enough muscle in you.” jae bit back a retort. he would have fought back had he not been thinking about a life full of domesticity next to younghyun. that was entirely on the pirate!

behind them, jiwoo snorted. “have you seen jae, mate? he’s bones and skin! skin and bones! that and he’s filled with the need to stab men, which,” the woman pushed a strand of hand behind her ear, “aren’t we all?”

“i’m not skinny!” jae argued, ignoring younghyun’s outstretched hand and standing up on his own. “i’m lean. i have muscles, they’re just…”

“well maybe you’d have to show me what you’re hiding under those pretty clothes of yours, angel.” younghyun smirked at him, eyeing jae up and down with a hungry look on his face. “though, you don’t really leave much to the imagination with how tight you like them to be.”

“hey, pirate! eyes up here!” jae screeched, face going red with embarrassment.

younghyun snorted, an amused flicker playing in his eyes. “or what? you’re going to put me down with your _immense_ strength?” the pirate laughed again, loud and annoying. the cockiness around him made jae want to either punch him or kiss him stupid. preferably both, one after the other.

“i just might.”

“oh, really?” the same amusement in his tone. “well then, go ahead.”

and jae did. he launched forward, sword drawn and ready to attack his arrogant pirate with all his might. except that the pirate was one step ahead, as he had been during all their sparring. he moved out of jae’s reach with ease and elegance that only a skilled fighter could possess. then, next thing jae knew, he was lying on the ground, his back hurting from the impact. younghyun’s hand was supporting his head, so that it never quite hit the wooden floor.

“i think i just won,” the pirate whispered, standing up. he put his foot in the middle of jae’s chest, holding him down. “say, angel, do you enjoy being under me so much that you just let me win? i like to think you can kill a man without breaking a sweat, so why is it that swords seem to have your bloodlust mellow?”

“it’s not the sword,” jae managed to say. the pressure of younghyun’s boot was making him feel lightheaded, but even more so it made his blood rush towards his lower region. if he kept on stepping on jae, the merman doubted he would come out of it alive. at least his dignity would end up in shambles, that one was for sure.

“then what?” younghyun smirked down at jae, pushing even harder down. “do you just suck at combat?” in the background, jiwoo yelled at them to let the two know that their unresolved sexual tension wasn’t welcomed by the rest of the crew, which younghyun and jae both ignored. “say, angel, should i just make you squirm some more? after all, i quite enjoy having you under me…” his foot dragged down jae’s body, its sole rough and hurting the merman despite the layer of clothes protecting his skin. “red in the face, eyes glassy, lips parted and wet already…” the tip of younghyun’s boot pushed jae’s blouse out of his pants. he pushed it up, more and more, until jae could almost bite the material down to keep himself exposed. “don’t you?”

jae nodded, head spinning with wild thoughts. was this heading where he wanted it to? would they end up kissing, touching, making love? would--

“oi, slimy pirate!” jaime’s voice pulled them out of their reverie. “stop trying to get into my brother’s pants and get back to teaching him how to actually fight!”

“aye, captain!” younghyun yelled at the woman, yet made no move of actually taking his foot off jae. “angel?” the merman made a noise in the back of his throat, cheeks flushing bright with just how _obscene_ it had sounded; he shouldn’t blush anymore, after all, he imagined how he must look right now, blouse damp from where he had bitten down on, flushed down to his chest, the dirt from younghyun’s boot clinging to his sweaty skin. “you want to continue, or do you want to do something else?”

jae knew the answer before younghyun even finished asking the question. “i want to continue,” he said, his hands in tights fists next to his sides. “i want to… put you down as well.”

a feral look shadowed younghyun’s features. he looked _excited_ at the prospect of jae continuing the fight, he looked… proud. jae’s eyes darted down the man’s body. he blushed, choking on his saliva at the evident problem the pirate was facing. _definitely_ excited.

“then go ahead and try, sea puppy.”

* * *

jae stared at the sleeping pirate beside him. they had been sleeping together since sailing with jaime and for the past days they had been waking up pressed close, their limbs tangled, jae’s head more often than not resting on younghyun’s naked chest. they don’t go to sleep cuddling, but during the night, they end up with arms wrapped around each other.

the merman leaned in, brushing younghyun’s bangs out of his face. he looked beautiful, younger, more relaxed than during the day. jae liked it, but he came to realize that this younghyun, the vulnerable version of him that could die in seconds if he tried to kill him, wasn’t the one he admired… desired.

he wished he would have kissed younghyun during their sparring, he wished he were brave enough to act on his longings.

jae knew they would never be together, not when the two were different species. younghyun might have liked… the way he looked when he was human, but at the end of the day, jae’s home was the sea, while younghyun lived on the ground, high above the merman. superior. that was what younghyun truly was to him.

but… maybe in another life, where they weren’t so different, maybe then jae would find the courage to ask younghyun for a kiss.

the merman turned with his back towards the pirate. he closed his eyes and let those thoughts disappear slowly into the mess that was in his head. as he drifted into a dreamless sleep, jae felt younghyun’s arms hug him from behind, pulling him to his chest. younghyun pressed a single kiss on the back of his neck.

stupid pirate. jae hated him.

* * *

two days later, at last, they stepped off the ship, after jaime had let them know that she would be staying in port for only a day. _i don’t trust this place_ , she had said, looking around wearily. and jae understood why. thought the trip to geumppit seom had been surprisingly uneventful, the island itself… well, it just seemed deserted; jae was starting to doubt they reached the correct island when he still couldn’t see any ships in the port despite being there for a few hours.

jae had assured her that a day is plenty of time for them to find younghyun’s crew and, still, worst case scenario they weren’t on the island anymore, the two could reach the ship in time to leave with them. younghyun, during it all, had kept on glancing around anxiously, a worried look painted on his face. jae had noticed that the pirate’s hand (with nails repainted black, the pinkie a striking iridescent pearl color, matching jae’s earrings) continued to pull his sword out of its sheath at any unfamiliar sound.

after an hour of going around the island silently, looking for _something_ that might lead them to entropy, jae finally spoke. “hey, you know, i’m sure they are… here. somewhere.”

younghyun sighed, shaking his head. “i don’t know, jae… maybe we got here too late? look around, does this look _golden_ to you?!” the pirate pointed around them with frantic moves, a maniacal laughter bubbling inside his chest. “maybe they took everything and went to the next place! what am i going to do? follow my crew around the world and hope that i catch them to regain my place as their captain? i don’t even _know_ where they are headed next!”

“pirate?” jae tried, inching closer towards younghyun. he wasn’t sure if the man would like being touched in a situation like this, but there wasn’t much jae knew how to do when people around him were crumbling under the weight of their problems. he usually hugged his siblings and let them talk, staying silent as he didn’t have many options on what to say. but his pirate was different. he needed words from him. “can i touch you? is it okay if i hug you now or do you wish to be left alone?”

younghyun nodded. “i’m gonna need you to speak, pirate,” jae said softly. the pirate made a sound akin to an agreement, and jae knew he wouldn’t cooperate anymore than that. he moved closer and wrapped his arms around younghyun. the man finally broke, tears running down his face as sobs ran through his body. he was trembling, mumbling incoherently while jae simply rubbed his back and told him it was okay.

“oh, younghyun,” he whispered, “i promise to you we will find them. i will help you do so, alright? i give my word to you.”

if by the time younghyun had stopped crying, jae started signing him a wordless lullaby and rocking him side to side in an attempt to coax him to calm down, neither of them say anything. and if in the end, jae ended up wiping younghyun’s tears away and kissing his tear stained cheeks as he murmured softly, no one else had to know.

* * *

half a day later, and the crew was still to be found. jae wasn’t all that worried. the island, as deserted and plain as it may be, with the lack of gold and riches, was still big. they’d been through less than one quarter of it in the time they’d been off the ship. the two were bound to find at least _something_ that might have belonged to the crew.

younghyun was ready to give up at any moment, but jae _knew_ they couldn’t. the crew of entropy _had_ to be somewhere on the golden island. he refused to think they could’ve left in a hurry. even if they got here earlier than jaime’s ship, they had to have stayed… waiting for their captain… maybe…

“pirate?” jae asked, turning around to face said man. “is there by chance a way your crew… might have left some hints for you? maybe your second in command thought you’d come here and try to reconnect with them?”

the pirate shrugged. “none that i am aware of. maybe sungjin did leave something behind, but his brain works in mysterious ways and i don’t think i would ever be able to--” younghyun cut himself, blinking at something behind jae. “nevermind.”

“what?”

“i think i know where they are!” younghyun yelled as he began to run past jae. his earrings and necklaces made annoying dingly sounds that would probably attract the whole fauna that still existed on the island.

“what do you mean! hey, pirate! get back here--” jae sighed. there was no way he could just let younghyun go alone. he ran after his pirate. “fuck! at least slow down, asshole!” damned be younghyun and his legs! jae had longer legs! he should be able to reach younghyun faster, but _no_ , the pirate had to use them for however long he’d been alive. _daily_.

by the time he reached younghyun’s side again, he was panting and sweating buckets, the burning sun above them having already scorched his skin. younghyun, on the other hand, looked perfectly fine, with his pretty hair still magically styled and his clothes clean and _dry_ , and the kohl around his eyes intact. jae envied him, but the clean look _did_ make his wish to ruin younghyun burn brighter.

“what did you figure out?” he said in between shallow breaths. he could feel his lungs protest with every inhale, but he needed that sweet sweet, dry and sandy oxygen more than anything now.

the pirate pointed ahead of him. jae had to squint against the sun’s deadly rays to see what the pirate was showing him. there, in the distance and near the northern side of the island, was a ship. giant, at least two times bigger than jaime’s, and black. that was what amazed jae most the first time he’d seen it during the storm. he never knew a pirate ship could be as dark as the night.

jae sent younghyun a questioning look, “entropy?”

“entropy.”

the pirate breaks into a run again and jae had no other option than to go after him.

* * *

jae recognized the man’s voice from that night. it would have been hard to miss when he was screaming younghyun’s name, this time with anger in his voice instead of worry.

“you fucking moron! where have you been!” the man jae assumed was the second in command jumped off onto the deck, ramming into younghyun’s body at full force. had jae not stepped aside in a moment of panic, he would have gone down with his pirate. “do you have _any_ idea how worried we were! you stupid drunkard! you bastard! you-- you-- i hate you!”

“yes, yes,” younghyun laughed, wrapping his arms around the man’s shaking shoulders. “i know. i’m sorry i fell and left you alone, sungjin. but i am back. and i brought my little angel along! well, he brought me here!” younghyun pushed the man away. he looked him in the eyes, still crying and snarling at the captain, and sighed. “come on now, old man, wipe those tears. we have so much to discuss. everyone!” he yelled towards the ship, its crew members all near the edge, waiting for their captain and his second in command to stop weeping. “come meet my lovely angel!”

at that, jae went red. he… was going to actually meet them?

people began to pile up on the shabby bridge and for a moment jae thought of running into the sea and just dodging the whole meeting of the crew step. he’d much rather just… shrivel up in the sea; he’d rather spend his time with his father while the man talked about possible mermaids he could marry! he wasn’t made for socializing… with humans. or other merpeople, really.

suddenly, younghyun was next to him, throwing an arm around jae and pulling him in for a side hug. he ruffled the merman’s hair. “ladies, gents and everything in between! here is my saviour, my angel, the light of my life--”

“you mean love?” someone in the crew said. jae tried to find who had spoken, but he couldn’t find them.

“yes, wonpil! love of my life!” jae blushed, eyes widening. _what_ was happening?! “his name is jae and you lot have to play nice with him otherwise you’ll be thrown overboard! understood?” younghyun smiled at his crew… his friends, with such a menacing look that for a moment jae was the one feeling scared.

“p-pirate,” the merman tried. he coughed, then said, his voice no longer breaking, “don’t threaten them.”

“okay, angel!” jae could see the way younghyun’s smile turned dumber with each second he spent looking at the merman. he could see the way the pirate wanted to lean in and press his lips on jae’s. the _look_ in his eyes as he glanced at jae’s lips every few seconds.

jae patted his cheek and called whatever gods were listening to give him the power to leave younghyun’s side and socialize.

“are you two just going to silently flirt while we stay by and wait for you to _actually_ introduce us to him, cap?”

“why, dowoon, no need to be so condescending! i was going to but i just… seem to have gotten lost in your eyes, angel,” he whispered to jae. younghyun lifted his hand, holding the merman’s cheek gently. “i’m sure you’d understand.”

he _had_ to be playing some type of sick prank on jae! he didn’t act _like this_ before! jae had no idea how to react to such actions from the pirate. he just knew that the water was close and a safe way of running away and that he was actually considering it.

“well, let’s get you ready to join the crew, angel.”

“you know,” jae said, “you promised me a dangerous adventure where you’d protect me… but what i recieved was pretty tame.”

“what are you saying?”

“if i join your crew… will i be getting stuck into those dangers you were bragging about?”

younghyun bit his lip to keep back a smile. “maybe.”

“then you _might_ have yourself a deal, pirate.” jae smirked at the man, leaning in dangerously close. he took a quick look at younghyun’s lips, but that was all it took for the pirate to lean in as well again. “you better be coming closer to kiss me,” jae whispered, closing his eyes.

“oh, angel, i thought you’d never ask.”

younghyun’s lips were on his. he was kissing younghyun. he was pulling younghyun closer with each brush of their lips. he was ready to get lost in the feeling of having the pirate’s hands on his hips, squeezing them lightly every so often. he was ready to die in the pirate’s arms if it meant spending a few more seconds embraced.

the pirate kissed gently, lovingly. he kissed jae as if he wanted to tear him apart with only the touch of his lips. jae kissed him back feverishly. he’d been craving this, fantasizing about it. and now he had it and he never wished to go back to _not_ being able to kiss younghyun.

“this is all cute and adorable and i am sure you have a lot of sexual tension you want to get over now that you’ve finally kissed, but we still haven’t been properly introduced, younghyun,” a man said. the same one that told younghyun he should be calling jae the love of his life. wonpil, had younghyun called him?

younghyun pulled back, much to jae’s displeasure. “right, sorry.” his lips were red and glossy. “come on, let’s have you meet them before they decide to leave me here.” he pulled jae towards the crew, his grip on the merman’s hand tight and secure.

 _stupid pirate_ , jae thought fondly.

**Author's Note:**

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